1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flexible, removable carrying harness for allowing cleaning equipment such as canister vacuums, carpet steam cleaners, liquid filtration vacuum cleaners, liquid spray carpet cleaners, and the like to be easily and conveniently carried around the house.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many types of cleaning equipment such as canister vacuums, carpet steam cleaners, liquid filtration vacuum cleaners, liquid spray carpet cleaners, and the like, on the market today, do not have any provision for easy and convenient carrying of the unit when it is in its operational configuration. Often times the carrying handle provided for the unit can only be used when the unit is partially disassembled. This drawback is a major inconvenience for the user of the unit. For example, the user, when attempting to take the unit upstairs to clean the upstairs area, must first disassemble the unit, carry the various parts up the steps, and then reassemble the unit upstairs before proceeding with the cleaning operation. Therefore, it is desirable to have a means for easy and convenient carrying of cleaning units of the type mentioned above, for example when carrying the unit upstairs or around other obstacles around the house, without having to disassemble such cleaning units.
U.S. Pat. No. 187,716, issued to Kirk, shows a carrying strap having a rigid cross member and two transversely mounted buckled straps. The Kirk patent does not show the flexible cross member of the present invention, or the four loops at the ends of the transverse members of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,141,005, issued to Reifsnyder, shows a carrying strap for fruits such as watermelons having a rigid handle and four transverse straps each having two spikes at the end for insertion into the fruit. The Reifsnyder patent does not show the flexible cross member of the present invention, or the four loops at the ends of the transverse members of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,744,668 issued to Henigman and 2,922,558 issued to Harvey, show carrying devices for thermos bottles having two circular clamping members joined by a rigid handle member. The Henigman and Harvey patents do not show the flexible cross member of the present invention, or the four loops at the ends of the transverse members of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,456,280 issued to Brown et al. shows a vacuum cleaner having a cord winder and a wire harness for electrically connecting various parts of the vacuum cleaner. The wire harness of the Brown et al. patent is not intended for carrying at all, but is rather intended for electrically connecting various parts of the vacuum cleaner. Further, The Brown et al. patent does not show the flexible cross member of the present invention, or the four loops at the ends of the transverse members of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,240 issued to Engel, shows a carrying harness for dragging a deer carcass through the woods. The Engel patent shows four loops disposed at the ends of two transverse members. The transverse members are connected by a flexible cross member. The four loops of the Engel carrying harness are not substantially symmetrically disposed about the cross member. Therefore the Engel harness could not function as a carrying harness for the types of cleaning equipment mentioned above. Further the cross member in the Engel harness is not suitable as a carrying handle because of the coiled portion in its middle which is intended for engaging the horn of a saddle mounted on a horse.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,263 issued to Guhne et al., shows a belt worn around the waist for carrying a vacuum cleaner hose. The Guhne et al. patent does not show the flexible cross member of the present invention, or the four loops at the ends of the transverse members of the present invention.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.